


perfectly tolerable.

by glorfindelle



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings (Movies), The Lord of the Rings - All Media Types, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - Jane Austen Fusion, Alternate Universe - Pride and Prejudice Fusion, F/M, Female!Reader - Freeform, Gen, Oh also, Pride and Prejudice References, References to Jane Austen, You Magnificent Bastard, and completely disregarding the elros canon, assume you share at least one or two with them, cheers - Freeform, daily reminder to say “fuck the canon” every so often, elrond and celebrian are basically jane and mr bingley respectively, everyone else is a mix of every other character, i hope you’re rolling in your grave rn, ok i had a LOT of fun here, or with earendil and elwing, probably vERY ooc throughout, reader is elrond and elros’ younger sister, screw you tolkien, so although your physical characteristics aren’t discussed, so uh. yeah
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-27 03:05:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15015287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorfindelle/pseuds/glorfindelle
Summary: it is a truth universally acknowledged that every elleth in possession of a good fortune should be in want of a spouse. when celebrian attends a party of elvish standards in the woodland realm, she finds a match in elrond; when haldir attends the same party, he meets a match in you.





	1. perfectly tolerable.

**Author's Note:**

> hOO boy here we go
> 
> translations (even tho i’m sure you can use elfdict.com by now uwu)  
> \- ellon: male elf  
> \- elleth: female elf  
> \- honeg nîn: my (little) brother/boy  
> \- naneth: mother, mom  
> \- neth nîn: my (little) sister/girl  
> \- ai: an exclamation, like “oh”

You stood between your brothers in a dimly lit corner of the Wood King's hall, all three of you craning your necks to see the arriving guests and cradling your goblets of Silvan wine in an attempt to nudge yourselves ever further into merriment. Word had spread in Imladris that perhaps the fairest of all the elves, the child of Galadriel and Celeborn, would be attending alongside her parents. Elrond was nervous, his mother had told him often of the beauty that lived in Lórien, and that made his siblings nervous in turn.

"If our mother raised us as well as she claims," Elros started, placing a hand on his back in an attempt to ease him a little, "then I have no doubt that you will be the loveliest ellon in the room."

You smiled, following his lead by leaning your head on his bicep. "If every elleth isn't in love with you by the end of the night, _honeg nîn_ , I am no judge of beauty."

"Nor of elleths, it would seem," he smiled as he took a sip of his wine.

"For some reason I feel as though [Y/N] would have an exceptionally good read on the opinions of ladies."

Laughing into your goblet, you responded with "One would assume so, considering how naneth has tried her very best to mould me into one."

The room fell into a barely held breath of quiet as four golden haired elves, presumably of Lórien, walked ever so gracefully through the now forming space created by people moving aside for them. The two women walked barefoot, the younger one bearing a soft smile. You frowned to Elros in an effort to silently inquire about the quartet. "They, sweet sister," he whispered into your ear, having bent down quite far to speak to you, "are the Lord, Lady, Maid and Marchwarden of Lórien. They are the most highly honoured guests here."

Continuing to frown in curiosity, you asked "Which is Celebrian?"

"The elleth on Galadriel's right," Elrond murmured softly, his eyes following the girl he so admired.

“And who is the ellon on _her_ right?”

Elros craned his neck again before returning to your ear. “That is Haldir, the Marchwarden.”

Your frown deepened, though this one was more based in pity. “He looks miserable, the poor soul.”

“A miserable soul, perhaps,” you could hear the smirk in his voice, “but certainly not poor.”

“He is one of the highest ranking officers in Lórien, has been for years,” Elrond clarified, still looking at Celebrian as she made her way through greeting the guests.

Elros took his brother’s goblet before his shaking hands caused any trouble and downed the contents in a swift gulp. “I’ve heard tell that his position in their military means that he personally oversees the training of half of their new recruits.”

You looked to him with a smirk of your own, incredibly similar to his if your mother was to be listened to. “The miserable half, I presume?” Elrond broke his eyes from the elleth to look at you as he giggled, while Elros broke out into a fit of laughter. With your gaze continually forward, you saw the ellon in question turn to glare at the three of you. He had such piercing eyes, you realised.

Soon enough, the four honoured elves made their way to your dimly lit little corner. If not for Elros’ eternally flowing conversational skills, the meeting could not have been more awkward. He somehow managed to escort the Lord and Lady to meet some of your kin from Imladris, leaving you alone with a bubbling Celebrian, an unenthused Haldir, and a starstruck Elrond.

“My Lady,” he started, his hands longing for a goblet to hold in order to keep them busy, “how do you enjoy the Greenwood? I am told that this is one of your first visits.”

Lady Celebrian beamed, a soft light in her eyes that, though probably described as charming, came across as sincere. “You were told correctly. I always adore spending time in forests that are not my own!” She spoke with the same sense of regality portrayed by her name, yet still maintaining a gentleness that was befitting of her.

A moment passed in silence, followed by another, as you prayed to the Valar that one of them would stop lovingly gazing at each other and speak. You decided to cut the tension by asking, with a smile, “I, myself, have heard that the libraries of Lothlórien are full of more knowledge than those through all Middle Earth combined.”

“Have you?” She brightened, her cheeks flushing slightly. “ _Ai_ , it fills me with guilt. I am not a very avid reader, you see. I much prefer being out of doors.” The girl paused, smiled, and widened her eyes as a realisation came to her. Her blush deepened. “I- I mean, I _can_ read, of course, I-” she floundered, searching for a way to continue as she mumbled to the floor and, as a result, missed seeing Elrond’s smile widen from being merely sincere to being utterly charmed, “and that is, uh, certainly not to say that one cannot read out of doors, of course, um-!”

Elrond saved her from embarrassment, and you didn’t see a single thought fly through his head as he did. “I wish I read more often, but there always seems to be so much to do in Imladris that I simply cannot find the time!”

If the elleth was merely happy before her embarrassment, you believed her to glow with joy as though she was Glorfindel with light when she exclaimed “Yes! Yes, that is precisely what I meant.”

Your attention was dragged away from the almost humorous affair that surrounded your brother by seeing Haldir shift on his feet, obviously uncomfortable yet not wanting to intrude. He still watched the conversation unfold, and you took the time to study his appearance. He was so similar to many of the other elves of his realm, carrying those strangely intriguing blue eyes and the blond hair of his people, yet not bearing the same build. His shoulders were wide, far more so than those of the other Galadhrim, and his legs, though still long, were less slender. You supposed that his career as a warrior was to account for his unusual figure, although many of the elves of Imladris had similar positions and looked quite different. You were drawn back to those eyes, their shade not unlike the water you assumed filled Galadriel’s mirror, and noted how they gave him an air of distinction that went beyond the severity in his position and fine dress.

Distracted as you were, the first indication of your brother asking Celebrian to dance was their sudden absence and the quiet that followed. You looked through the crowd to catch the eye of Elros, only to see him grinning at the pair as you did the same. You turned to see that Haldir had moved closer to you, as if intending to start a conversion, but no words passed his lips. In silence you watched as your kin danced. Each of you picked up another goblet of wine without daring to look at each other.

Having had enough of the quiet and wanting to enter the fray at long last, you turned to Celebrian's companion, that famed Marchwarden of Lórien, and asked, "Do you dance, my lord?"

"No, Lady [Y/N]," came the decisive answer. "Not if I can help it."

Frowning, you hummed into another goblet of wine. There was no other avenue for the conversation to go down following such an austere answer that caused you to almost physically reel, despite your upbringing. You glanced from Haldir to the dance and back again, lost for words.

Elrond appeared from within the crowd and you immediately stepped forward to greet him with a smile and his now somehow third goblet of wine. At the same moment Lady Celebrian came to talk to Haldir, and you heard her say, in a volume that signalled a want for privacy but in a pitch that enraptured the room all the same, "We are a long way from Caras Galadhon, are we not?" before escorting him away to find a quiet spot, somewhere they would be able to talk. While Celebrian looked utterly at ease in a place like this, Haldir seemed fatigued despite barely dancing. You heard the quiet sound of his voice as he left, despite not being able to discern his response.

———

"Look!" cried Elros, as he pointed to his twin across the hall. "Our man is dancing with Lady Celebrian!" You peered over countless heads to see Elrond spinning around with Galadriel's golden daughter on his arm, a wide grin on her face and a deep pink blush on his. With a laugh he looked to where you stood, and your brother cheered and clapped for him.

You smiled as his blush deepened. "He is absolutely smitten with her." A young elleth tugged lightly on Elros' hand and batted her eyes at him as he murmured his agreement and followed to wherever she took him. So you stood alone for a song or four, and you drank sweet and bitter wines if only for the sake of being all the merrier. Your besotted brother jogged towards you after having left Celebrian when he saw you alone, asking to dance with her again later in the evening.

Elrond held out a hand to you as the music stopped. "I must have you dance, [Y/N], I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this foolish manner. You would be much better off dancing."

"You know I detest dancing," you smirked, "unless I am well acquainted with my partner. And while you and Elros are so engaged there is not another person here with whom it would not be a punishment to dance."

"Well it is of your benefit that I am currently without a partner," he laughed. "You make such a fuss, _neth nîn_. I even doubt that you would dance with any of the Valar."

Taking his hand with a smile, he led you to the centre of the room. There were at least fifteen other pairs of dancers who bowed and curtsied as the band started to play a quick tune. Elves of Rivendell danced with those of Lórien and of the Greenwood, Silvan with Sindarin, bards with warriors with hunters. The mix of these three peoples was so complete that it was not unnatural in the slightest, you thought that the gathering of your kin was altogether too full of beauty. You did not always think yourself to be as fair in face as you were, and your brothers knew this. However there you were, dancing in all of your finery, among the most elegant and delightful beings in all of Middle Earth. In all of Arda, if the Valar would accept being given second place.

"I have never seen so many lovely people in all of my life," you whispered excitedly as Elrond twirled you around in a dance. There was no lie in what you said, the elves of Lórien were so exquisitely beautiful in their fair skin and light hair, the range of colours they wore in their gowns and robes showed a decidedly hidden affluence. Then, of course, there was the Lord and Lady of Caras Galadhon who spent the evening among the people, both their own and those of Imladris, dancing barefoot and singing loudly as though they were children.

He smirked down at you as Elros brushed past with yet another elleth you didn't know and said "She has most certainly changed her tune, brother!"

"I am dancing with the only handsome ellon in the room," you laughed, earning a shove from Elros, and a smile from Celeborn who turned to his lady across the hall. "Celebrian would be lucky to have you."

Elrond glanced to the named elleth, blushing. "She is the most beautiful creature I have ever beheld," he replied with a sense of pride. "But there is one of her kin from Lórien sitting down just behind you, and I dare say he is quite agreeable."

"Do permit our dear Celebrian to introduce you," Elros grinned.

You turned your head as you spun around again, keeping your eyes upon yet another pale and blond elf that your brothers most ardently wished you to dance with. "Do you mean the marchwarden?" you asked as he glanced your way and you shifted your eyes back to your brothers with a frown. "He is perfectly... _tolerable_ , I will give him that, though to imply that I find him attractive is a far larger assumption than either of you ought to be making. I am in no mood to pay attention to soldiers who are slighted by other elleths. You two had best return to your partners," you nodded to Celebrian and to Elros' partner, "and enjoy their smiles, among other things, for you are wasting your time with me, and I would not give him the time of day for every soldier in Lórien, much less the miserable half."

The pair huffed with shared smiles, as did the Marchwarden of Lórien sitting behind you with a frown. " _Tolerable_?" he murmured, almost to himself, "Only tolerable?"

Celebrian merely smiled at him, giggling a little. "Perfectly so, if I can recall correctly. Do not allow her words to affect you, Haldir. This story is one that I am very certain your brothers would like to hear, they do so delight in all things that are as ridiculous as this!"

Despite your wish to not offer him any time, you found yourself once again conversing with Elrond and Celebrian and, to your surprise and annoyance, Haldir, who approached the three of you once more. You were there only to watch over Elros who, having seen just how well his favourite brother was doing with Lady Celebrian, had taken it upon himself to sing Elrond’s praises, and the pair of you could tell that it annoyed him. 

Celebrian turned to you, handing you another goblet of wine. "Lady [Y/N], your brother Elros is a most amusing young man."

"Yes, he is!" you cried, both of you smiling. "We both adore him, as do all of our kin in Imladris."

"It is only a pity I am not more handsome!" the ellon interrupted, "though my siblings would never tell you that I am plain." The wine had started to get to his head, as he ended up telling the story of one of Elrond's former lovers in order to show him off. “She was a fine lady, very well educated, very well read,” he detailed, looking at Elrond with a drunkenly lopsided grin and missing the smile that Celebrian bore fade slightly. “She was caught immediately by my brother’s beauty, not that we could blame her of course,” he waved his hand between yourself and him, “he is one of two beauties of Imladris, the other being our darling sister - you could ask anyone, and they would agree. This pair have inspired some rather nice poetry, you know-”

As you saw Celebrian’s growing panic, you quickly added “And that absolutely ruined any chance of love that Elrond had with this maiden. Poetry is an undoubted killer of love, anyone with a strong sense of self would rather be cast into Mandos than be the subject of a love poem.” You had the satisfaction of seeing relief sweep over Celebrian’s face before Haldir spoke.

“I have been led to believe that poetry was the food of love.” There was a rather earnest tone in his voice that surprised you, but you answered readily.

“ _Ai_ , perhaps, sir, if it is a good and robust love, as ‘everything nourishes that which is strong already’. If I were to, let us say, pour this wine on a sapling, it would wither up and die. Pour wine on an old oak, or even a mallorn tree, and it will bless you and give thanks.” There was a light flash of amusement in his eyes, one which you made a note of. “So, knowing this, what would you recommend to encourage affection, my lord?” you asked with a smile.

Haldir raised his head and grinned, to your surprise, and apparently to the surprise of Celebrian as well. He appeared almost smug in contrast to his previously stoic appearance. “Dancing.” Now, in place of the amusement you had seen, there was an air of recklessness and an uncharacteristic feeling of Haldir _knowing_ something. This curious itch of yours was proven as he added “Even when one’s partner is only _perfectly tolerable_.” His smile only seemed to widen as he turned to see the surprised expression that laid on Celebrian’s face, alongside the barely concealed shock on yours. He finished his latest goblet of wine and bowed, deeply and smoothly, before turning and sauntering away towards the Lady and her Lord who stood on the other side of the room, eager to inform them that, despite appearances, the unspoken score between the two of you had been settled without resorting to violence or other indecent activities.


	2. rather accomplished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i told y’all i would continue this
> 
> neth nîn - my (little) sister  
> honeg nîn - my (little) brother  
> ai! - an exclamation, like oh!  
> naneth - mother, mom  
> ada - father, dad  
> elleth - a (young) female elf  
> ellon - a (young) male elf

You stood with your brothers in your shared parlour, peeling yourselves out of the layers of finery that were light at the start of the evening but weighed you down as if they were dwarven chains when you returned home. Each one of you helped another to undress, while Elros and his drunkenness meant that you and your mostly sober brother had been tasked with helping him first and taking him to his bed. This left you alone in the parlour with Elrond, sharing stories of the night.

"Lady Celebrian is just what a young elleth had ought to be," he said softly, untying some of the laces on the back of your gown, "sensible, good humoured-"

"Beautiful," you laughed as you completed the list, "descended from not one, but two ancient royal houses."

Elrond ceased in his assistance to step back and break into a fit of laughter. “You know perfectly well that I refuse to marry only for power!”

“I do know,” with a smile, you stepped out of your dress, leaving it to fall to the floor, before you added “and it is for that same reason that I will sail into the West an old maid.”

He smiled a little, and you worked in silence to remove his many layers of clothes. “Do you believe she liked me, _neth nîn_?” he asked after a few moments.

You sighed. For an elf of his abilities and wisdom, he certainly was oblivious. You told him as much, sighing an exasperated “She danced with you for most of the night!”

“I will admit that I was flattered.” He spoke as if it was nothing of importance for Celebrian to hold him in such high esteem. “I did not expect such a compliment.”

“Dear brother, that is the single greatest difference between us,” you pulled the final piece of fabric from him, leaving him in his undershirt and leggings, before you started to undo the intricate braids that were spattered in his hair, “for someone as gifted in foresight as you are, compliments always come as a surprise. Celebrian is certainly very amiable, and I give you my blessing to like her. You’ve liked many a stupider person.”

“ _Ai_!”

“It is true! You are a great deal too apt to like people, all three of us are.” 

“All the world is good and agreeable in my eyes.” Elrond turned to look at you with a soft smirk, repeating the phrase you used against him so often. “Particularly that friend of hers, the one with the sense of humour.”

You groaned, causing him to laugh as he looked forward again. “Haldir? I could more easily forgive his pride had he not _so mortally wounded_ my own.” Now, with both of you as close to being undressed as you could be around each other, you walked to the door and opened it, the cold breeze swirling your underdress around your body. “I am glad to say that I doubt we will ever speak again. Sleep well.” And with that, you left Elrond alone for the night. You hoped that what you said was true.

———

The days after the dance in the Greenwood were dull and slow, an opinion that was shared by elves across the three realms. If there was one difference in Imladris, it was Elrond's endless sighing as if he was a lovesick boy. 

"Dear brother," Elros almost sang as he wrapped his arms around Elrond in his seat, "the mortals say that absence makes the heart grow more fun."

You burst out in laughter. "Absence makes the heart grow more _fond_ , you fool!" The twins managed to muster a few giggles together.

"Well," he started to talk again in between his laughs, "I hope you understand the message all the same. She is probably pining after you up in some tree, as you long for her in our homely little home."

Elrond nodded with another sigh before frowning. "I am most certainly not pining. I am simply thinking of her at every moment and wishing she was here." You shared an accusatory look with Elros. "I do not pine!"

At that moment a young ellon knocked on the door of the study you sat in, bearing a grin as he bowed. He could not have been more than a century old, his head barely reached the height of the door's handle. "My lords, my lady," the boy continued to smile as Elros waved him inside. "I bring a letter addressed to my Lord Elrond, from Lórien."

The three of you immediately perked your heads up, yours and Elros' bearing a barely concealed joy, Elrond's own was wide eyed and carried a pure happiness that could not be hidden. He stood and walked the quick few steps towards the ellon who gave him a folded and wax-sealed piece of near white parchment before returning to sit down and read in silence.

"How fares your naneth, Lindir?" Elros inquired, trying to break the heavy silence his brother refused to fill.

The boy smiled brightly once more, and answered "She is well, and ada is also. They told me that they had a good time at the dance. How did you find it?"

"We all had a very enjoyable night," you cut in, before either of your brothers could embarrass themselves, "but none more so than our dearest Lord Elrond!" He looked to you briefly, and blushed, before turning back to his letter. The other two ellons in your conversation laughed lightly, as though they believed that they would deafen themselves if they were too loud. You sighed. "Tell us, brother, what news comes from Lórien?"

Just as he started to open his mouth, Elros stood and escorted Lindir out, telling him that "this conversation is not one for you, child. Stay close, we will call for you soon." and shutting the door. He nodded, pushing Elrond to continue.

"It is Lady Galadriel's hand," he began, and cleared his throat. " _My dear friend—  
if you are not so compassionate as to dine today with the Lord and myself, we shall be in danger of hating each other until the end of days, as a whole day's conversation between three friends can never end without a quarrel. Come as soon as you can upon receiving this. My daughter and the wardens are to dine with the officers. — Yours ever,  
Galadriel_."

"With the officers!" you cried as he finished. "I would not have guessed her to be of _that_ ilk."

"She is the heir to Lórien, she likely only has to make certain that the officers are behaving themselves. But dining out," murmured Elros, his usually happy demeanour replaced with a frown, "that is very unlucky. Unaccountable of Lady Galadriel!"

"Should I take the carriage?" Elrond inquired, but was once again interrupted as he tried to speak again.

Elros began to grin again. "No, brother, you had better go on horseback, because it seems likely to rain, and then you will have to stay for at least the night!"

"That would be a good scheme," you replied, "if we were sure that they did not want to send him home."

"I had much rather go in the coach."

"Lindir!" Elros called, and waited to see the ever faithful boy open the door again. "Do you know how many horses are not at work today?"

"Just one, my lord."

"Then it is settled! You will ride to Lórien. Thank you, Lindir, that is all."

So Elrond was forced to travel on horseback, and his brother attended to him with all of the cheerful assertions that the weather would turn for the worst. His hopes had been answered: Elrond had not been long gone when it started to rain, before becoming a full storm by the end of the evening. You would be a liar if you refused to admit that you were afraid for him, but Elros was delighted. The rain continued through the night into the morning without intermission - your brother would certainly not return. Elros sat with you to eat in the morning positively proud of himself, whispering "this was a lucky idea of mine indeed, sister," every so often, as if he was to credit for the weather. Breakfast was scarcely over when a drenched Lindir entered with another light parchment from Lórien, addressed to you.

" _My dearest [Y/N],  
"I find myself quite unwell this morning, which, I suppose, is to be accounted for by my getting wet upon my travels. My kind friends will not hear of me returning until I am better. They also insist on bringing their healers to see me, claiming that I cannot possibly work to heal myself, therefore do not be alarmed if you should hear of this. Excepting a sore throat and a headache, there is not much the matter with me. Yours—_ and so forth.  
"Well, darling brother," you smiled after you had finished reading, "if our sibling should have a dangerous fit of illness and die, it would be a comfort to know that it was all in pursuit of Lady Celebrian, and under your orders."

" _Ai_!" he exclaimed, lightly slapping your shoulder. "I am not afraid of him dying. Not even men die of trifling little colds, and he is well taken care of. As long as he remains in Lórien, he will be fine." 

“He may certainly die with the shame of having you as a brother!” You, despite your brother's unending optimism, had become truly anxious and were determined to go and see Elrond, though the carriage was still not to be had, and you were not the strongest horsewoman by any account, so walking was the only alternative. You told Elros of your revelation.

"How can you be so foolish," he cried, "as to think of such a thing, in all the mud that this storm has brought about! You will not be fit to be seen when you arrive."

"No, but I will be very fit to see our brother, which is all that I desire. And the distance is nothing when one has a motive. I shall be back within a few days, perhaps a week."

So in a way similar to your brother before you, it came to be the time for you to make your way to Lórien, however on this occasion Elros was significantly less enthusiastic. "I do admire the activity of your benevolence, sweet sister, but every impulse of feeling should be guided by reason and you appear to be lacking in it!"

You laughed as you came to the first of the last homely homes, by a pavilion, and waved to Lindir who had come to bid you farewell. "Nonsense, _honeg nîn_! The walk will do me some good." You promised the boy that you would bring him a gift on your return, before moving to leave. "Can you look after my brother for me when I'm gone? Imladris needs a strong ellon like you to keep him in line."

With the farewells said, it was time for you to continue your walk alone. Thankfully the rain had stopped, but you still had to leap over puddles and fallen trees, and you lost a shoe as you ran through the thick mud. Soon enough, however, you found yourself within view of Caras Galadhon, with weary legs, dirty feet, a sodden skirt and the glow of exercise on your face. You were shown into the parlour of the Lord and Lady, where all but Celebrian and Elrond were assembled, and where your appearance created a great deal of surprise. That you had travelled so far by foot, so early in the day and in such dirty weather, was almost incredible to the two armour-clad ellons you had come to learn were named Rumil and Orophin alongside Lady Galadriel; and you were convinced that she held you in contempt for it. Haldir sat at a table with the Lady, and, when you had been announced, stood up abruptly, causing the screech of his chair to silence the room.

“Goodness, Lady [Y/N],” burst out the taller of the pair, Orophin, asked to break the silence, “have you walked here?”

"I am sorry for the intrusion, lords and ladies, but where is my brother?"

"He is upstairs, with the healers." Haldir replied, quickly and loudly, as if he knew what you were going to ask before you arrived. “Show her the way, Liviel.” He was kinder than his brother was in the way he spoke.

There was a moment of silence following his abruptness. "Of course. Thank you, Lord Haldir, my Lady. I hope you will pardon my rudeness." The elleth who had announced you turned and lead you to where Elrond rested, quickly shutting the door, but not before you heard one of the ellons exclaim "Did you see her skirts, brother? They were six inches deep in mud, and her feet were no less unclean! It is no wonder she is Elros' sister."

You saw Celebrian sitting outside the room you were led to, and you saw her lovely blue eyes perk up as she realised you had come. “ _Ai_ , fair lady! I am so glad to see you, Elrond has been asking after you-”

An elleth in healer’s robes came from his room, and the pair of you almost shouted out “How is he?” in unison. You smiled at each other. She was smitten, indeed. The healer told you precisely what Elrond had already written: that it was just a cold, though a violent one, and that he would get the better of it.

With Celebrian’s permission, you brushed past the healer and almost ran into your brother’s room. He was laying on a deep, plush bed, under white linen sheets, sweating and feverish. “ _Neth nîn_!” he cried as he saw you, his previously downturned expression replaced by one of admiration. You placed a kiss to his forehead, “it is so good to see you, _ai_ , your face is so cold! They’re being so kind to me, I feel as though I am an imposition.”

“Worry not, Elrond,” you smiled, taking his large and unexpectedly sweaty hands into your own. “I don’t know who is more pleased at your being here, Celebrian or Elros.” At your words the lady joins you, having attended to the healer. “Thank you for tending to my brother with such care, it seems that he is in better comfort here than at home.”

Celebrian bowed slightly. “It is a pleasure,” she smiled, before you could see the hungry arms of embarrassment wrap around her once more. “I mean, n-not to see him sick, of course, that’s terrible.” She calmed down a little, composing herself, as she added “I will have a room made up for you, for you must be our guest here until Elrond recovers.”

As much as you both wished it, you could not stay with Elrond for the entire day. At half past six you were summoned for dinner, which was nothing out of the ordinary, and left him to sleep. Evening came, and all who were awake retired to one of Caras Galadhon’s great balconies. Celeborn and Galadriel had retired not too long ago, leaving you with the three soldiers and the lovesick elleth. Without your brother she appeared to be quite bored, but occasionally paced around the leaf, and apologised for the lack of books upon it as you read. Aside from Celebrian, you could hear a quill scratching on parchment, and the occasional giggle from Orophin and Rumil. The shorter of the two stood from where he sat, suddenly, deciding to wander the room and look for a distraction.

“Have I ever told you, brother,” Rumil wondered aloud as he peered over Haldir’s shoulder, “that you write uncommonly fast?”

The Marchwarden didn’t bother to look up as he replied “You are mistaken.” His austere response did nothing to deter his brother. “I write rather slowly, and you have never told me otherwise.”

“How many letters you must have commission to write!” called Orophin, causing the other half of his pair to laugh. “Letters of business, no doubt.”

“How odious, indeed!”

Once again Haldir remained unmoving, and you struggled to focus on the book in your hands as the conversation continued, despite its somewhat dull nature. “Then it is all the better that they are my curse, rather than yours.”

“Do tell Legolas that we long to see him,” one of the brothers said after a moment.

“I have already told him once, by your desire. Though, he is by no longer by any means a child.” Recognising the name, you finally looked across from your book. Legolas was the young prince of Greenwood, Haldir’s position must be of high importance if he was personally tasked with writing to royalty.

“We do dote on him,” laughed Rumil. “I was quite enraptured by his design for a garden.”

“Perhaps you will give me leave to defer your raptures until I write to Thranduil again.” He set his quill down, and Celebrian began to pace around the room once more. “At present I have not enough room to do them justice.”

She smiled. “It’s amazing, how the children have such patience to be so accomplished.” Celebrian spoke with such a fondness that you almost forgot she was so young, and so recently named ‘woman’. “They all design gardens, paint stars, sing and play the harp. I never heard of a child, or even of an elleth, but people always say they are accomplished.”

“The word is applied too liberally,” Haldir added, leaning back a little in his seat. “I cannot boast to knowing half a dozen elleths, in all my acquaintance, that can be described as being rather _accomplished_.”

“Nor I!” cried the brothers.

You frowned into your book, deciding to say your piece. “ _Ai_ , you must comprehend a great deal in the idea.”

“I do.” came the austere reply.

Rumil poured himself a goblet of wine, and passed one to his brother. “As do I!” he laughed. “She must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing-”

“- and at least three languages!” finished Orophin. “Only then can she deserve the word. Such an elleth must also carry herself well, with something in her air and manner of walking that is quite refined.”

Sat upright again, Haldir added “And of course, she must improve her mind through extensive reading.” You closed your book quickly at his words.

“I am no longer surprised that you know only six accomplished elleths,” you dragged your fingers across the cover, “I rather now wonder at your knowing any.”

“Are you so severe on your own sex?” he pondered, cocking his head to the left a little.

You smirked. “I have never seen such an elleth. She would truly be fearsome to behold.” 

For a moment no one speaks. Haldir, after nodding lightly at your words, goes back to his letter; Celebrian picks up a book before quickly placing it back where it was, and walks over to you. “Lady [Y/N], let us take a turn about the room.” You stand, surprised but accepting of her offer, and she links her arm with your own. The pair of you walk in slow circles around the balcony, under the watchful eyes of Rumil and Orophin. “Refreshing, is it not, after sitting for so long?”

“I suppose also that it’s a small sort of accomplishment,” you smiled, briefly meeting Haldir’s gaze before he returns to writing. Oh, how you hated those eyes.

Celebrian smiles to herself, almost knowingly so. “Will you join us, Haldir?”

He shakes his head softly. “You could only have two motives, my Lady, and I would not want to interfere with either.”

With another smile, now mischievous, she turned to you. “Whatever could he mean?” she wondered, a hint of fun in her voice.

“Our greatest way of disappointing him would be not to ask,” you replied with a laugh.

“It is a shame that I hate to disappoint him.” Turning to Haldir, she cried “Do tell us!”

With a sigh, he set down his quill once again and fixed his eyes - ever blue, and ever stern - upon the two of you. “You are either in each other’s confidence and have secret matters to discuss,” he began as you made your way behind him, “or you know that your figures appear most attractive when you are walking.”

“How bold he is!” you whispered, gaining a small laugh from Celebrian.

“If it is the first, I would get in your way.”

“And if it is the second?” she asked.

“Then I am able to admire your figures much better from here.”

“ _Ai_ , how shocking!” she exclaimed, clutching your arm tightly. “We ought to punish him for such a speech.”

You laughed, and studied him a little. “We could always tease him?”

As you finished, your attention turned to Orophin who called “Our brother is not to be laughed at!”

“Are you too proud, Haldir?” Now that you were back in front of him, you smiled, “And would that be something you consider a fault?”

Immediately, he replied “That is something I do not know.”

“They are trying to find a fault in you,” Rumil laughed, setting his brother off.

He leaned back in his seat again. “Perhaps, I find it hard to forgive others of their follies and vices, or of their offenses against me.”

“His good opinion, once lost, is lost forever, I’m afraid.”

“Oh dear,” you smiled to the ellons, “I simply cannot tease him about that. It is a shame - I dearly love to laugh.” Haldir smiled, though you could sense somewhat that he was offended, and held back your laugh.

Celebrian nodded with a sincere smile as she let you go. “A trait you share with your brothers, it would seem.” It was getting late, the once golden mallorn leaves shone silver in the moonlight, and Haldir had finished his letter. As soon as he set his quill down, the Lady clapped her hands together and asked his brothers if they would provide them the luxury of music, a request that they granted all too readily. Later, you found yourself singing ancient lays and love filled ballads with them as they played their harps and lyres, and when you sang you noticed how often how frequently Haldir’s eyes were fixed upon you. You hardly knew how to suppose that you could be the object of such a great man’s admirations, and yet that he looked at you with dislike in his eyes was still more strange. You could only imagine, however, that at last you drew his notice because there was something wrong and reprehensible in you, according to his ideas of right, that was more prevalent than in any other person present. The supposition did not pain you - you liked him too little to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank goodness for online scripts and pdf versions of books

**Author's Note:**

> i’m probably gonna add to this whether you like it or not, but kudos would be appreciated all the same uwu


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